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Across the globe, there are 258 worldwide births per minute, resulting in a huge 516 individuals becoming parents for either the first time or expanding their family further every 60 seconds. Only parents know the true extent that having a child can have on your life, with time, energy and undivided attention required at all times. With no pre-written handbook to give answers to the meaning of newborn cries, how to handle the ‘terrible twos’ phase or even how to complete primary education homework, the journey through parenthood, whilst hugely rewarding, can also be exhausting, so here is why parents shouldn't feel guilty for taking time for themselves.

With their interesting sights and smells, sensory gardens are perfect additions for schools to aid with the sensory development of children. Nicky Roeber, Online Horticultural Expert at Wyevale Garden Centres, has given us his easy guide to growing a sensory garden at school.

Daniel Williams, the founder of Visualise Training and Consultancy, has a canine carer and here gives an honest account of life with Guide Dogs.

As someone with a severe visual impairment, my assistance dog is a vital part of my life, both as a guide and friend. We have a special bond that you will understand if you have seen the Sponsor a Guide Dog ads on TV. They show just how much assistance dogs give independent lives back to people with visual impairments, and how that independence is to be treasured.

Imagination Gaming founder Nigel Scarfe discovered the power of games while playing Dungeons and Dragons as a child.

At the time, he was struggling to keep up in school and he found that the game expanded the way he used his mind and subsequently gave him a better understanding of maths and English in school.

Fast forward a fair few years and that valuable lesson is helping Nigel’s company (IG) pave the way for innovative games based learning by taking it back to more traditional board and card games with great results.

So much so that the gaming industry is starting to take notice of this small but mighty team.

It is distressing to see a child who is anxious. No matter how much you try to reassure them and tell them not to worry, anxiety can affect all aspects of their life and be disruptive to family life as well. There are sources of help, through school, the GP and counselling, but resources are thin on the ground these days and in many places only the most extreme cases are referred to child counselling services.

If you’ve not yet heard of CBD and its increased use in wellbeing and medicinal products over recent years, you may be surprised to hear of the benefits of this derivative of the cannabis plant. What exactly is CBD and why how its popularity in health products been growing at such a rapid pace?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second most prominent cannabinoid found in hemp and cannabis. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds naturally occurring in the cannabis plant family. Unlike the most prominent cannabinoid known as THC, CBD is not psychoactive, meaning it does not affect your cognitive function or give you a ‘high’ which cannabis is so widely associated with. Instead, it offers a natural way to relieve pain, fight symptoms of anxiety in a safe and legal way.

Peter Wright is a personal development and performance coaching specialist based in North Devon in South West England. He is also Master Hypnotherapist, Master Practitioner of NLP, Cricket and Rugby Coach and a lifelong walking enthusiast. He runs walking retreats for groups and ‘walk and coach’ sessions for individuals that give opportunity for guided ‘me time’ enabling mental and physical renewal. Here he discusses the healing power of walking for mental health.

We always think that we can control our bodies with our minds, and the fact is, that when our mind is going haywire, the body blazes those haywire things into feelings and makes us feel uncomfortable and stressed out. Once this happens, we are unable to invoke the body to help the mind because we're all one system.

The launch event, hosted by Birmingham City Council, brought together disabled people, disability organisations and AccessAble’ partners to showcase the new App and website. They feature 1,000s of places across the region, all visited and assessed by AccessAble’ surveyors.

Speaking about the need for the service Disability Blogger, Lucy Wood said,

Here Jessica Taylor-Bearman, who has M.E. and is the author of A Girl Behind Dark Glasses, describes her time in hospital from the age of 15 – and how she became determined to document her experience, despite being severe bouts of exhaustion…

Health educators, The Sound Doctor, are raising awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and providing tools to manage the condition ahead of November’s National COPD Month – which includes World COPD Awareness Day on November 21st, 2018.

COPD affects millions of people in the UK. It is a condition of the lungs, making it hard to push air out, due to a narrowing of the airways. COPD usually develops because of long term damage to lungs from breathing in a harmful substance. Usually this is cigarette smoke, but could be smoke from other sources, or air pollution.

COPD Awareness Month aims to increase public understanding of this condition, and is especially important since many people who have it don’t realise they’re living with the condition.

Filmmaker Olivier Bernier's latest project is not just work, it's personal. He's making a documentary following his search for inclusive education for his son Emilio, who has Down syndrome…

Finding your child's first school is a big moment for any parent, but for parents of children with disabilities, the process feels even more fraught with difficulties.

Two years ago our son Emilio was born. Becoming parents for the first time was overwhelming, and there were so many new challenges. Besides all the challenges we expected with having a child, Emilio also has Down syndrome, which brought additional challenges. When I was growing up I didn't go to an inclusive school and didn't know many people with a disability, so I was ill prepared for my own son's arrival.

The design and features of inclusive bathrooms should be carefully considered, as it is the room where people perhaps most want to be self-sufficient to preserve dignity and save themselves from feelings of embarrassment. There are a number of ways that bathroom design can be structured in order to be accessible and ergonomic for wheelchair users or those with reduced mobility or additional needs.

Jenni Meredith, UCan2 contributor, on the pressing issues of the moment – from finance to fears over losing a carer…

Deflating debt

The other day, calling at our local optician’s to collect my husband’s new glasses, I had to wait whilst the assistant chatted on the phone to one of her friends. Not that I was eavesdropping, but it’s hard to avoid overhearing in small shops when you are the only customer. I think the friend or maybe a relative was sharing bad news because the optician’s assistant came away from that conversation fairly agitated and all worked up for a ‘put-the-world-to-rights’ session with anyone within shouting distance. I was that anyone.

Autism’s Got Talent, the nation's leading autism talent show part sponsored by Options Autism, the national provider of care and education to children, young people and adults with autism, complex needs and learning difficulties, is taking its amazing show out to new British audiences this summer with events in Cornwall and the Wirral.

Autism’s Got Talent (AGT) was founded by Options' Autism Ambassador, Anna Kennedy OBE, a well-respected autism campaigner and mother of two sons who have autistic spectrum conditions.

Wheelchair accessible transportation can be a huge problem for those with a disability and/or those that care for someone with a disability. Public transportation can be difficult and unreliable, plus it does not always get you to where you need to go. Fortunately, in recent times there have been some incredible advances in disability friendly motoring with many vehicles now available for those with a disability to either drive themselves or ride as passenger safely and comfortably.

DATES have been confirmed for the Calvert Trust Kielder popular Multiple Sclerosis (MS) break which gives people with MS the opportunity to try a variety of activities, relax and have fun in spectacular surroundings.

The dedicated breaks offer those living with MS a chance to develop new skills and interests, increase their confidence and make new friends thanks to a special programme of activities including golf buggies, sailing and visits to local places of interest.

Taking place from 11 th – 18 th June 2018 at the charity’s award-winning centre in the beautiful Kielder forest, the week includes full board accommodation, professional instructor-led activities and full use of specialised facilities.

A young woman from Sittingbourne who is living proof that having learning difficulties need not stand in the way of being independent, has written her own account of the progress Park Road has enabled her to make over the past year.

Meryem Kizigol, 34, said:

“When I came to Park Road at the start of March last year I was unable to do a lot of the basic stuff. I kept myself to myself - a very lonely life. I can now do all my own laundry myself, cook, go for daily walks, do house chores and even do my own food shopping. After a lot of support and encouragement I have been able to do this with no support from staff.”

PLAYING with imaginary companions (IC) helps children learn essential social skills such as empathy with other people. It is often believed that autistic youngsters are incapable of creating pretend play pals – a further hindrance to their development of emotional understanding.

But now a project headed by a University of Huddersfield researcher confirms that children diagnosed with autism are able to create and play with ICs. Further research is to be conducted and could eventually help to develop new therapies.

I have been using Driving Miss Daisy since February 2018, after my highly specialised drive-from-wheelchair car provided by Motability was declared a write off. I’ve had Cerebral Palsy from birth & after several years of deterioration, I use an electric wheelchair for the majority of the day, and travel with a working assistance dog provided by Canine Partners, named Etta.

Driving Miss Daisy has been a lifeline, after my highly specialised drive-from-wheelchair car provided by Motability was declared a write off. That car was my key to independence; without it, isolation and depression set in.

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U Can 2 Magazine would like to thank the advertisers that appear in this publication for their support and wish them continued success.U Can 2 is an independent publication and has no affiliation with any other organisation. The views expressed in U Can 2 do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher E.A.L. and its employees. Similarly the efficacy of any products and services featured are the sole responsibility of the supplier/manufacturer.